Count the Shadows
by RvnsDsks
Summary: An Eponine/Enjolras story set in the traditional Les Mis setting. Follows their meeting and friendship before, during and after the the barricade, features appearances by all the barricade boys and other Les Mis characters. Background M/C, E/M, with one sided E/R. Rated high T/M for later content. Warnings will be in Author's Notes!
1. Desperate

Éponine/Enjolras

Count the Shadows

By: RvnsDsks

* * *

Desperation.

I suppose you could say it was desperation that drove Éponine's actions. She was desperate for love, even though she knew the kind of love she was looking for was impossible. She walked the streets alone at night, never a wise choice "here in the slums of San' Michelle", as Gavroche called them, but no one wanted to mess with a Thenardier, so she was more or less safe.

The rain poured down, relentless, and Éponine shivered, ducking into an alley, hoping for some relief. She took off her hat, wrung it out, then squashed it back down onto her head with a 'humph!'. Not that she really minded the rain. She loved how it made everything misty and sparkling. The pavements shone silver, and the river turned the lights into large balls of color.

She closed her eyes, pretending she had someone with her, holding her close, keeping her warm despite the foul weather. Her heart soared, and she felt a slight thrill at the thought of someday having a man of her own. A carriage rumbled by, splashing muddy water over her, effectively soaking her through and scattering her thoughts. She glanced up at the giant clock tower and cursed. She was late! She jumped, darting out of the alley and sprinting down the street.

"He's gonna kill me", she muttered, as she thought of her father waiting for her with his gang. That thought drummed through her head in time with her beating heart, driving fear through her, and she ran faster, cursing silently to herself. She was so occupied, she slipped on the rain soaked street, colliding with a gentleman who had just stepped out of the building beside her.

Both figures crashed to the pavement, and the man's bag spilled onto the cobblestone, papers becoming dripping strips of useless parchment within seconds. Éponine scrambled back onto her feet, before kneeling back down to help him scoop them up. As she reached for another paper, she couldn't help but notice his money pouch dangling from his hip. She started to reach for it, but suddenly he turned, lifting his head to face her. Éponine felt her breath catch in her throat.

The face staring back at her was partially hidden by dripping wet curls, but she could see the round edges; his dark eyes peering through the strands of his equally dark hair. He was young, that much she knew, and there was a youthful sort of handsomeness that instantly drew her attention.

His lips moved, and Éponine jolted herself out of her thoughts, and tried to focus her attention on what he was saying. " _ **Pardon**_?" She asked.

" _ **Je suis vraiment désolé. Je ne regardais pas où j'allais.**_ " ***** (I am very sorry. I was not watching where I was going)

" _ **Je m'appelle Marius**_ ," he continued. " _ **Et vous êtes?**_ " (My name is Marius. And you are?)

"Éponine." She answered quickly. "There is no need to apologize, _**Monsieur**_. The fault was mine."

He smiled at her, and Éponine felt a thrill run through her. She realized she was still holding his papers, and she held them out to him, suddenly shy. He took them, stuffing them back into his bag. "So," he asked casually. "Where were you running off to in such a hurry?"

She started, looking back up at the clock, cursing. "I was going home, _**Monsieur**_. I didn't want to be late."

"Let me walk you." He offered. In any other circumstance, Éponine would have refused, but she was desperate, and gave in.

They strolled along the side of the road, with Éponine itching to run. As they turned down the next street, Marius chuckled quietly. "You know, I think we're heading towards my house."

Éponine glanced up at him, then around at the buildings. He was wrong, though she didn't dare point that out to him. These shops that lined the road served as markers, leading the way to the Inn, and Éponine's home.

"There." She said, relieved as she spotted her building, although the fear was beginning to return.

Marius chuckled again. Éponine liked how he laughed. "Looks like we're neighbors."

She nodded, thanking him for walking with her.

"It was no problem, _**Mademoiselle**_." He nodded to her, before entering his house, which was attached to hers. Éponine didn't know whether or not to be happy about the fact.

She entered her house, which technically wasn't hers but her father's, bracing herself for what she knew would come. The apartment was surprisingly large, given its small outward appearance. A couch was pushed up against one wall. Over the years it had now become impossible to tell that it was even a couch, let alone what color it was. There was a large gash in one of the cushions, the result of one of her father's drunken rampages, and stuffing bled through the wound.

Scattered around the main room were several sets of chairs and tables, the wood eaten through in some places by termites, and the table's face bore several scars similar to the one the couch had.

Éponine stood in the doorway, her eyes tightly shut, too afraid to move, and too afraid to show she was afraid. The dull thump of a knife blade being driven into the table told Éponine that her presence had just been noted, and sure enough, when she opened her eyes, her father was striding towards her, a scowl on his face.

She stiffened, expecting a blow, but instead, he moved behind her to close the door that she had left open. He made his way back into the room, then sat himself at one of the tables. When she made no move, he glared at her, jerking his head toward the other chair.

Inwardly cringing, Éponine made her way slowly to the table, before seating herself at the chair across from him. He leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back two legs, and pulled his pipe from his pocket. He lit it, then took a long draft from it before looking up at her with cold eyes.

"How much did you get for me?" He finally asked, his voice low and gravelly from years of smoke and alcohol.

Éponine mentally prepared herself for his reaction, before pulling out a handful of coins and placing them on the table before him. He pounced greedily on the coins, scooping them up into his palm and counting through them. His smile slowly faded as he counted through the coins a second, and then a third time.

His hand formed a fist around the coins and he glared at Éponine. "Where's the rest?" he finally said.

Éponine kept her gaze on the table, not daring to look up into her father's sneering face. "There is no rest, Papa." She whispered. He stood and leaned over the table towards her.

"Then you better go get it, eh?" He whispered dangerously.

She nodded quickly, jumping up from the table and running out the door, down the streets once more. There weren't many people out because of the rain, but she was able to grab a few bags full of coins.

When she finally returned back home, the sky was turning a dark grey, the rain still pouring down. She splashed into the house, hoping to relax a little, but of course, her father had other plans.

"The gang'll be here soon, get ready," he hissed, snatching the bags from her hands. She went up the steps to her room, changing into a dry set of clothes. They were dirty, but the freshness of the cloth against her skin was soothing. Her hat was left on the window sill to dry, and she slipped back into her boots before heading back downstairs.

The gang had arrived and were making themselves comfortable in their own ways, with Montparnasse sitting at the table with her father. They all looked up at her as she entered, and her father starting speaking to the group.

"Everyone here, you know your place. Brujon, Babet. _Claqesous._ " He cast a disdainful look at the man closest to the door, before returning his attention back to the rest of the group. "You, Montparnasse, will watch for the law with Éponine; take care. No mistakes my dears."

Montparnasse fell in step with Éponine as they made their way through the shadows to their destination. "So, 'Ponine," he drawled, fingering his knife lovingly. "We're to be lookouts together." He grinned sideways at her. "Don't go gettin' any ideas now." He raised his eyebrows at her.

Éponine rolled her eyes. "Don't call me 'Ponine, Montparnasse." She snapped at him. "And I'm not the one you should be concerned about." He chuckled, then fell silent as they neared a large, mansion looking house in the middle of the street.

They gathered outside the main gate, and her father whispered instructions to everyone. "Now, the gentleman who lives here just moved in. Still hasn't unpacked all his things, so I figured we'd help him out and lighten his load." He winked conspiratorially, then disappeared with Brujon and Claqesous in tow. Babet went on ahead of them to climb in the house and open the door, and soon it was just Éponine and Montparnasse outside the gates.

Éponine stayed on alert, scanning the streets and ignoring Montparnasse's constant teasing. Suddenly, she heard it. Through the drumming rain, she could hear a different kind of drumming. The distinct sound of leather slapping against the cobblestones.

Éponine motioned for Montparnasse to stay where he was, while she darted through the alleys towards the sound. Sure enough, there was a group of police gathered next to a small shop. They seemed to be discussing something privately amongst themselves, and Éponine could just make out the form of their leader, his back turned to her.

His shoulders were broad, only made wider by his navy blue uniform. He stood tall, and proud, lording himself over his men. Salt and pepper hair was hidden under his tall, wide hat, and at his side, a small cudgel and gun were strapped to his belt.

He turned suddenly, and Éponine pressed herself back into the shadow of the wall. _Javert!_ The most feared man among the streets of Paris. Inspector Javert was known for being ruthless, and extremely stubborn. Éponine had heard that a convict had once escaped Javert years ago, and that even now, Javert was still hunting the man down.

Javert barked an order to his men, and once more they started marching down the street, heading straight in the direction of... Éponine gasped. They were heading towards her father and his gang!

Éponine ran, sprinting and dodging through the alleyways, reaching the rich man's house and sliding to a stop in front of the entire gang, who had gathered again outside the gate.

"There you are, girl." Her father said as she struggled to catch her breath. He started to address the gang, but Éponine interrupted him, ignoring her father's angry glare. He hated being interrupted.

"Papa!" she burst out, breathlessly. "They are coming... _ **L'inspecteur**_ Javert and his men... They..." But suddenly everyone could hear them. The marching of their feet, beating out a rhythm straight toward them.

"Every man for himself!" Her father snapped. "Meet back at the Inn. If you can", he added with a sneer. Then the group was off, splitting into parts, with Éponine racing after Montparnasse into the dark.


	2. Chance meeting

**Hi everyone! Sorry for how ridiculously short this chapter is. The next one is also super short, so I'm posting both of them at once to make up for it. I'd just like to let you know that about 3/4 of this story was written a while ago, and so my writing style may seem a little off to some. It does get better (at least, I think it does) later on, but bear with me. :)**

 **Here's chapter 2, with 3 to follow. Don't forget to review! I'm not a mind reader, unfortunately, so I can't know what you think unless you tell me. Reviews motivate me and make me update faster. Hope you enjoy!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Marius sighed, pushing himself away from his table and rubbing his eyes. He was trying to re-copy his notes taken from class that afternoon, but the inky words had become so water smeared it was impossible to make them out. It wasn't that girl's fault. He was the one who hadn't been paying attention. He would just have to get extra notes from Joly later on.

He stripped of his jacket and shoved his papers back into his bag. He took a book off the shelf and collapsed onto his bed, losing himself in the story within moments. A loud banging next door jolted him out of the book, and he sat up abruptly.

A dull thud sounded, followed by cursing, then a slam of something heavy being shoved against the wall. Marius rose from his bed and moved over to the wall. A crack in the wall gave him a view to the other side, and he peered through. A figure moved around the room, and Marius could see that it was some kind of bed that had been slammed against the wall. The bed frame looked as if it had been hacked to pieces with an ax and then reassembled with several pieces missing. A thin, worn mattress rested on the bed frame, with several long gashes all over the mattress.

The figure continued to move around the room, taking a hat from the window sill and squeezing it, water running out through the figure's fingers. The figure turned with hat in hand, and Marius realized it was a girl. He couldn't make out any specific features, but the girl seemed young, no more than 15 or 16.

A booming voice from downstairs made both Marius and the girl jump. The girl placed the hat on her head and left, going down towards the voice. Marius backed away from the wall and sat down at his desk. He wondered if it was the same girl he had run into; what was her name again? Éponine.

A few moments later, a loud yelling was heard through the wall, followed by a slamming door. Marius stood and went to his window. Looking out he saw the girl run out of the house and dart down the street into the alleys. Was she crazy? It was dark, and who knows what could be lurking on the streets?

Marius shook his head, and moved over to his bed, collapsing back onto it with a sigh. He picked up his book and continued reading, eventually falling asleep with it lying on his chest.


	3. Got to pick a pocket (or two)

**Here's chapter 3. This features our first glimpse of the barricade boys, as well as sets up Eponine and Enjolras' further encounters.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Don't forget to review!**

 **-Raven**

* * *

Éponine cursed her father with every step. He hadn't been satisfied with the money she had brought him this afternoon, and had ordered her out to get more. More, more. He was never happy with what he had. She knew if she didn't bring home the required money, she could expect a beating. Or worse.

She shoved those thoughts out of her mind and squinted through the mist, but there was nothing. No one was out now. It was late and wet. The only people out were, well, people like her father's gang. She passed by a building, and looking up at it, realized it was the same building where she had met Monsieur Marius. A cafe. She heard voices inside, and peering in through the window she saw a group of men, all in various stages of leaving, laughing and shouting as they did so.

Éponine ducked into the alley beside the cafe, and watched a few of them go by. If she could just grab one purse. These men, boys really, must be rich, or, at least richer than Éponine. They filed out one by one, two of them supporting a third in between them, and as they passed, Éponine gagged at the smell of alcohol that followed them.

Finally, only one remained inside the cafe. He was standing in the center of the room, head bowed as though praying, or at least deep in thought. He raised his head, and slowly began pacing the floor, looking around at the empty chairs. He began speaking, softly at first, then louder, stronger.

Éponine couldn't hear what he was saying, but his voice carried a powerful ring in it. Passionate. Unyielding. Éponine leaned closer, enticed by the sound of his voice alone. After a few minutes, he stopped pacing. His voice continued to vibrate throughout the room, then stopped as well. He bowed his head and stood back where he had started in the center of the tables.

After a moment, he raised his head and grabbed a jacket that had been hanging on a chair, then made his way slowly toward the door, slipping it on as he did so. Éponine ducked back into the alley and watched him leave. He passed by her and kept going down the street. Éponine followed, expertly matching his strides and becoming silent, invisible. As they moved on down the pavement, Éponine inched closer, tensing and preparing to reach for the purse that hung at his waist. She reached with skill acquired from years of stealing, quickly and quietly, and grabbed the purse-at the same moment his hand grabbed her wrist.

She gasped, and looked up into piercing grey eyes. His eyes held the same strength and passion that his voice had; unwavering. The angles of his face were rough, yet gentle at the same time. A scowl caused his face to seem sharper, and his eyes flashed with anger. "May I help you?" He asked, his voice cold.

She blinked, and straightened, instinctively stepping backwards, but unable to go far because of his grip on her wrist. " ** _Lâchez-moi_** , **_s'il vous plaît_** ,"(Let me go, please) she gasped, pulling against him.

He let out a mirthless laugh. "I think not! Trying to steal my wallet-you're lucky I don't go to the police." He glared at her, still not releasing her. "Why were trying to steal my wallet?" He asked.

"The same reason anyone does, I suppose." Éponine answered, swallowing her fear and replacing it with sarcasm. His eyes narrowed, and Éponine realized she may have gone too far. She dropped her gaze to the ground. " ** _Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Ce n'est pas ma place_** ,"(Forgive me, Sir. It's not my place) she muttered. His eyes softened, though Éponine didn't see it, and he released his hold on her wrist. She looked up at him, startled. She worked her mouth, trying to find something to say, but he spoke first.

"Here." He reached into the purse and took out a handful of coins. Éponine debated with herself whether to accept the coins or not. Despite what people thought, Éponine did have a sense of pride, and she would not accept charity.

On the other hand, it could be a trap. She reached for the coins, watching his face closely for any sign of a trick. Finding none, she snatched them quickly from his hand, and slipped them into her pocket, turning to dart away to safety without a word of thanks.

"You know," he called after her. "There are better ways to make money."

She stopped and raised her head, keeping her back to him. "Not for me, **_Monsiuer_** ", she said, then darted away, leaving him behind on the street.


	4. Family Matters

**Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I updated. These next to chapters are fairly short, so I'm posting them both at once again so you guys don't have to wait as long. This chapter features the first appearance of Gavroche, which I'm really excited to see what you guys think. My Gavroche is based on an equal mixture of the book and movie Gavroche, inspired by a few different show versions and how they portrayed him. Basically, think of him as The Les Mis Artful Dodger. ;)**

 **Hope you guys enjoy the chapters, and don't forget to review!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Éponine woke to the angry shouts of her father downstairs. She squinted at the light pouring in through the window, and groaned as she sat up. Placing a hand to her head, she looked around the room for a moment, and was startled at the sight of Montparnasse sleeping in the bed next to her. Quickly, she jumped out of the bed, and pressed herself against the far wall, staring fearfully at the figure.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember, then decided she didn't want to remember and opened them again. She slipped on her dress, and her hat, which had now dried, and left as quickly as she could.

Downstairs, the shouting grew louder, and she could see the gang assembled. Claqesous and her father stood on opposite sides of a table, screaming at each other. Éponine rolled her eyes. Papa still hadn't forgiven Claqesous for spoiling a raid that happened weeks ago. Claqesous said something, and Thenardier lunged for him, knocking the table over, and sending them both crashing to the floor.

Éponine slid in between Brujon and Babet, who were leaning against the wall and placing bets. "Five sous Claqesous gets beat." Brujon smirked.

"You drunk?" Babet challenged. "Thenardier doesn't stand a chance."

"I'll bet on Claqesous." Éponine said, her eyes sparkling, while her mouth remained a tight line, trying to hide her smirk. Both men glared down at her.

"Yeah? And whose money you bettin' 'Ponine?" Brujon sneered.

"Yours," Éponine answered, allowing a flicker of a smile to cross her face. The men laughed with her, then turned to watch the fight. Montparnasse staggered downstairs, and sidled up next to Éponine, shoving Brujon aside.

Claqesous was struggling underneath Thenardier, who pummeled him mercilessly. It looked as though he had the upper hand, but Éponine knew Claqesous wouldn't give in so soon. Sure enough, Claqesous tucked his knees up to his chest and kicked out, sending Thenardier flying. He landed on his back with a thump, knocking the air out of him.

Both men scrambled onto their feet, glaring daggers at each other while the rest of the gang laughed. Claqesous smirked, offering Thenardier his hand to shake. Thenardier spat, cursing as he turned away.

"I believe you owe me money, Brujon." Éponine said, smiling broadly. He cursed, but handed her the coins. The gang departed, led by her father, and once sure they were gone, Éponine slipped out and ran down the street, finally free.

She went to the bakery and bought a loaf of bread, holding it close and savoring its warmth. She ran down the streets into the open clearing. In front of her loomed the elephant. Gavroche's elephant, she called it. Climbing up into the elephant's stomach, she weaved her way through the obstacles until finally-"Gavroche?"

"'Ponine, is that you?" A small face peered at her from the shadows, framed by dirty blond curls.

Éponine held out the loaf. "I brought breakfast."

Gavroche gave a triumphant laugh, darting forward and snatching the loaf from her hands. He bit into the still warm bread, and sighed. "Hey, half of that is mine." Éponine snatched back the remains of the loaf and finished it off.

Gavroche rocked back onto his heels, crouching against the wall. He stared at her pointedly, and Éponine rolled her eyes at him. "I'm fine, 'Vroche, really," she said, correctly interpreting his glare. He nodded, clearly not believing her. Éponine laughed, ruffling his hair.

"I have to go," She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "You'll be ok?" She asked her brother.

He puffed himself up indignantly. "Of course!"

"Stay away from Papa and the others." She warned, glaring at him as she dropped through the hole in the bottom of the elephant. "I mean it, 'Vroche."

"Yeah, yeah." Gavroche waved her away with a grin, watching her disappear into the crowd. He sighed, frowning at the spot she had been in. "You too," he whispered, before shaking his head and jumping up.

"Come on, boys!" He yelled, popping up out of the elephant's head. His 'brood' of street urchins scampered out of their hiding places, and together, they dashed into the streets.


	5. Les Amis

**Alright, here's the next part for you guys! Sorry for the bit of a cliffhanger, it was my first attempt at suspense with the story. I hope I succeeded at least a little bit, you'll have to let me know. Also, I did my best to research the Barricade Boys and get their characters right, but feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong.**

 **Let's see if you guys can make it to ten reviews. Reviewers get a cookie and Eponine's hat!**

 **Also, I don't own Les Mis, just this particular fanfic. Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Marius strolled through the market, scanning the buildings in a fruitless attempt to find the ABC cafe. His friends gathered there nearly every day, and had invited him to join them, but he just couldn't seem to find... "Éponine?" The girl from yesterday was trying to snatch a gentleman's purse. She looked up at the sound of her name, and when she spotted him, her eyes widened.

"Éponine." He said again, liking the way her name sounded. She pulled her hand back, and slowly came over to him.

"Hey there, **_Monsieur_** , what's new with you?" She asked shyly.

"It's just Marius, Éponine." He scolded gently. She nodded, a small smile creeping onto her face. "Hey, Éponine." He said, an idea coming to him. "You wouldn't happen to know where the ABC cafe is, would you?"

Her face lit up, and she eagerly reached for his hand, practically dragging him down the streets. "Don't worry, **_Monsieur_** , I'll take you there."

Marius stumbled along after, surprised by her strength and boldness. "'Ponine, wait!" he cried, after tripping for the third time. She stopped abruptly, and Marius nearly fell into her.

"What did you call me?" She asked, turning to face him, an unreadable expression on her face.

"'Ponine." Marius said slowly, cringing slightly at the look on her face. "I just... thought..."

Éponine opened her mouth, then closed it, shaking her head slightly. "Never mind." She said, looking over his shoulder. "We're here."

Turning around, Marius saw she was right. They had stopped just outside the cafe, and Marius could hear shouting from inside the building.

"Grantaire, put that bottle down!"

Marius laughed, and this time he was the one to grab Éponine's hand. "Come on, I want you to meet my friends." He dragged her inside before she could protest, and was greeted by a chorus of welcoming shouts.

"Marius! You made it!" One of the men strode over to greet them.

"Lesgle! Éponine, this is Lesgle, also known as Bousset. He is the one who introduced me to Les Amis." Éponine nodded at Lesgle, smiling slightly. He bowed back, then went off to join a few others at a table. Marius led Éponine around the cafe, introducing her to all his friends, watching her reactions with amusement.

Joly pronounced her unhealthily thin, and then proceeded to lay out a strict diet plan for her. Grantaire, of course, was too drunk to notice anything, and was passed out in a chair, his bottle hanging loosely from his fingertips. Courfeyrac, along with Feuilly, Combeferre and a few others, were playing cards with Lesgle, betting to see how long it took for him to lose.

"And finally," Marius said, leading Éponine over to a figure in red. "Enjolras." His back was to them, but at the mention of his name, he turned, and Éponine gasped, blushing, then turning pale. Enjolras' face also turned red, his expression one of surprise and hidden anger.

"You!" He said.


	6. I know you

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since updating, and sorry for leaving on a cliffhanger. I wasn't sure if anyone was even interested but I decided I should update because when it comes down to it, I'm still a writer with a story to tell, even if it's to an audience of one.**

 **Anyway, here's the next chapter for you, and because it's so short I will also be posting chapter 7, so be on the lookout for that as well.**

 **Sorry again for the delay, I will do my best to keep my updates regular. Thanks, and don't forget to review!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

"You." Éponine repeated, her face going even paler. Marius looked back and forth between the two, confused.

"You know each other?"

Enjolras recovered before Éponine, and smirked, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. "She tried to steal my wallet the other night."

"What?!" Marius looked down at Éponine, who dropped her head, embarrassed.

"I did apologize, **_Monsieur_**." Marius couldn't tell if she was talking to him or Enjolras.

"No you didn't!" Enjolras said, his eyes flashing.

"Well I'm apologizing now!" Éponine retorted, raising her head to glare at Enjolras. He opened his mouth to speak, but Marius stepped in between them.

"Ok. That's enough...Enjolras, let it go. She's sorry, and she didn't take anything right?" Éponine shook her head, and Enjolras looked away, frustrated. "Well, then it's settled." He glanced at Éponine, who had once more returned her gaze to the floor, then walked off to join Grantaire at a table.

"I should probably go." Éponine said, casting a quick glance at Enjolras.

"Yes, that would probably be best." He answered stiffly. She nodded once, then turned to leave. "I really am sorry, **_Monsieur_**." She said, then left before he could respond. Enjolras shook his head, realizing that he didn't even know her name. But what did that matter? He had a revolution to lead.


	7. Crime & Punishment

**Ok, here's chapter 7! Just a heads up, there is some violence and mild language in this chapter, nothing too graphic or intense, but it is there, so be warned.**

 **Thanks again for the interest and don't forget to review!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Éponine wandered the streets for the afternoon, stealing another loaf of bread to give to Gavroche and his boys. She darted in and out of alleys, enjoying herself. Gavroche caught up with her and they played tag, dashing and darting through the streets and avoiding the Police Inspector.

Chasing after Gavroche, Éponine glanced up at the clock, and nearly fell flat on her face. She stopped in the middle of the street. "Gavroche!" She yelled, scanning the crowd, trying to find him. "Gavroche!" She yelled again, then jumped as something collided with her middle.

"Got ya!" He yelled in triumph, grinning from ear to ear. Éponine ruffled his hair, laughing, then sobered up. "I have to go, 'Vroche."

He frowned pitifully. "Why?" Éponine pointed to the clock in answer, and Gavroche nodded slowly, sadly, in understanding.

"Papa'll be mad if I'm late again." Éponine said, stooping down to hug him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Meet you at the elephant in the morning."

"Promise?" Gavroche asked.

"Promise." Éponine said, hugging him one last time before jogging down the streets.

Éponine burst through the door of the Inn to find the gang already assembled. She slid in behind Claqesous, trying to pretend as if she had been there the whole time. He smirked down at her. "You're gonna get it now, 'Ponine". He sneered. She glared back at him but paled at the harsh bark of her father's voice. Slowly, she made her way forward, shaking slightly.

"Where were you today, girl?" Éponine could tell he had been drinking, and drunk and angry, her father was a dangerous man. Well, he was a dangerous man to begin with, but drink made him worse. He continued without letting her speak. "Never mind. D'you have my money?"

Éponine's eyes widened, and she paled even further. Nothing she could say would get her out of this one. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the remaining sous from the loaf of bread this morning.

Thenardier's eyes narrowed and he struck her across the face, the force of the blow causing her to stumble backwards. He pursued her, striking her again and again, shouting the whole while. Éponine tried to ignore his words, but things such as, "worthless" and "slut" pierced through. The gang looked on in silence. They had seen this before; it wasn't new for them.

Finally, he tired of beating her, and backed away. "You can't seem to be able to make money on your own, so maybe Montparnasse can help." He sneered at her beaten form.

"No. Papa, please." Éponine whimpered, trying to pull herself up to her feet, and collapsing back to the floor in pain. He ignored her pleas, and Montparnasse dragged her up the stairs into the bedroom.


	8. Becoming friends

**Hey guys! Sorry it's so late since I've updated, I was trying to hold out and see if it got anymore traffic. But here is the next chapter and because it is so short, I'm posting chapters 8 and 9 at the same time, so I'll have chapter 9 up shortly. (Quick aside, a lot of my earlier chapters are very short, so I will most likely be posting double chapters for a while.)**

 ***Warning, there is mild violence in this chapter as well, but again, nothing graphic.***

 **Hope you all enjoy, and please don't forget to review!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Marius squinted down at the pages before him, trying to decipher Joly's miniscule handwriting. He tossed his quill/pen down onto the parchment, making a noise of disgust in his throat. It was impossible. He had to find a way to get those notes. He had missed yesterday's seminar, and would fail his next test unless he was able to study. Which he couldn't do unless he could copy notes from someone else.

He went down into his kitchen and found some bread, cheese and fruit, and carried it back upstairs to eat. Poring over his books, he copied notes from the text, then went through them while he ate.

Muffled sounds from next door interrupted him, and he groaned, wondering what he had gotten himself into in choosing this place. But it was the most he could afford, and he still had books to buy. A sudden cry came through the walls, and Marius flinched, jumping up from his chair.

A dull slap sounded, followed quickly by another cry. Marius stood frozen, not entirely sure if he wanted to know what was going on next door. He knew from the tone of the cries that it was a woman, and it dawned on him with a sick feeling that it could be Éponine. He didn't even know her, and yet he hated to think that she was being hurt.

A muffled scream jolted Marius out of his thoughts, and he darted over to the hole in his wall. He could see the bed; it was still pressed up against the wall. On the bed lay a figure, and although her face was hidden in shadow, but Marius could have sworn it was Éponine. She lay sprawled across the bed, lying on her stomach, and she scrambled across the bed, trying to get away from something.

Shifting his gaze upward, Marius could see why. A man towered over her, holding something tightly in his fist, something thin and long that hung down to the ground. It was dark, but Marius recognized it as a belt. The man raised it above his head and brought it down hard, striking Éponine across her back. She screamed, and Marius flinched, jumping back from the hole. He sat on the floor, frozen in shock. What was happening? Another scream. Marius felt sick. He moved over to his bed, and curled up under the covers, trying block out the screams from next door. It felt like hours, but finally, all was quiet.

Marius cautiously crept out from under the covers, and knelt next to the hole. He peeked through, bracing himself for what he might see. Éponine hadn't moved from her spot on the bed. She was curled up on her side, her back to the wall, and Marius could see the welts that cut deeply into her back. Éponine was whimpering softly, as though afraid someone would hear her.

Marius winced, hating to see her in such pain and wishing there was something he could do about it. He hesitated, then placed his mouth near the hole. "'Ponine?" He whispered. Éponine flinched, jumping up off the bed and barely concealing a cry of pain. She stared at the door, and her voice trembled as she spoke. "Go away, 'Parnasse."

Marius tried again. "'Ponine." She turned, glaring at the wall in confusion. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder, ensuring that the door was closed, then made her way back to the bed. She leaned close to the wall and whispered, "Hello?"

Marius nearly laughed with joy. "'Ponine, it's me. Marius."

Éponine's face lit up, then paled slightly. " ** _Monsieur_** Marius?" She asked, cautiously.

"Just Marius, 'Ponine," he said gently.

"Marius", she said slowly, testing it out. "I didn't realize your room attached to mine." She blushed, then paled again. "Did you…?"

"Yes." Marius was slightly embarrassed, but his anger got the better of him. "How could he do that? Who does he think he is?" He asked hotly.

"My father." Éponine whispered back.

Now it was Marius' turn to go pale. "Oh, God, 'Ponine," he said, shocked. "I didn't mean... I'm..."

"Don't be," Éponine said, stopping him. "It's nothing I can't handle." She laughed, then winced. "So, other than peeping in on me, what have you been doing, Monsieur?"

"I wasn't peeping!" Marius protested, and Éponine smiled, careful not to laugh again. "I've been studying, actually." He tried to sound indignant, but gave up the pretense quickly as he admitted, "But sometimes, I'll skip studying and read."

Éponine couldn't help the laugh that escaped this time, but the laugh quickly turned into a cry. Marius frowned, his eyes filling with pain. He wished he could do something. "Hey," he said, an idea coming to him, "do you want me to read some to you?"

Éponine nodded eagerly, and Marius disappeared from her line of sight, returning moments later with a book. He sat down and began to read. Éponine noticed right off that he didn't have the same power with words as his friend, Enjolras did, but his voice was soothing, and she closed her eyes, sighing contentedly.

The sound of Marius' voice lulled her to sleep.


	9. Urchins

**Here's the second half of my update: chapter 9. Hope you guys enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Marius didn't see Éponine the next day, and although he worried at first, he trusted that she would show up eventually. Using Éponine's instructions, he made it to the cafe after school, and then was able to find his way home from there. But after hours with still no sign of Éponine, Marius began to really worry. Even looking through the hole in the wall there was nothing in her room to give him a clue as to where she might have been.

"Hello, **_Monsieur_**." A small voice said. Marius was sitting in the shadow of the giant elephant statue outside Bastille. He looked up to see a little boy hanging upside down from one of the ropes. When Marius looked up at him, the boy laughed and flipped the right way up, hanging onto the rope with one hand, and leaning against the side of the elephant.

"What are you doing here, boy?" Marius asked, impressed by the child's acrobatics.

"I live here." The boy responded proudly. "Me and my boys, we live here. My name is Gavroche." He added, dropping down from the rope and leaning in close to Marius, trying to appear threatening. "What are _you_ doing here, **_Monsieur_**? This is private property.  My private property."

Marius smiled, deciding he liked Gavroche. "I'm Marius. And I was just sitting here thinking."

"'Bout what?" Gavroche asked, tilting his head to the side in childish wonder.

"Just on how to find someone."

Gavroche's face broke into a smile, and he bounced on his toes excitedly. "I can find 'em. I'm really good at finding people. Me and my boys, we know all sorts of people."

Marius laughed, enjoying Gavroche more and more as the minutes went by. "Well, she's-"

"Wait." Gavroche interrupted, a sly smile creeping across his face. "This girl you lookin' for. You like her don't ya?"

"Not like that, Gavroche." Marius chuckled. "She's just a friend. Anyway, she lives right next door to me. Kind of small, brown hair, wears a hat-"

"Éponine?!" Gavroche said in disbelief, standing up on his tiptoes. " _My_ Éponine?" He leaned in once more, placing his hands on Marius' knees. "Does she wear a gentleman's coat and boots?"

"Um, yes. How did you-?"

"Why are you looking for her?" He was once more trying to be threatening. "What do you want with Éponine?"

"She's my friend, Gavroche. I haven't seen her for a while and I was getting worried. That's all, I swear." Marius held up his hands in a 'Don't shoot!' gesture.

Gavroche nodded slowly, then stopped. "What do you mean you haven't seen her? She promised me she'd be here. The boy lowered his head, and Marius thought he saw a tear in his eye. "She promised." He quickly shook it off, standing tall again. "Éponine never breaks her promises. She'll be here, **_Monsieur_**. You can wait with me of you like."

Marius nodded, climbing inside the elephant with Gavroche, and wondering why it was that both siblings insisted on calling him **_Monsieur_** instead of Marius. They sat in the belly of the elephant and talked.

"So Gavroche, how come you live in the elephant and Éponine lives at the Inn?"

Gavroche's gaze hardened. "She'd live here with me if she could. I can never convince her to stay." He pouted.

"But why..?"

"Because of our father." He spat the word like it was poison. "He threw me out when I was 4 and I've been on the streets ever since. Me and my boys live here, and Éponine brings us food. When she can."

"And what about Éponine?"

"As far as I know, she's under father's control. Sometimes she can't even come visit me. But not today," he said, brightening. "She promised. She'll be here."

Marius considered telling Gavroche about how their father treated Éponine, but was unsure of how the boy would take it, or if he already knew about it.

"Gavroche?" he said carefully. "Would your father ever hurt Éponine?"

Gavroche's eyes widened, then he frowned, scrunching up his face in thought. "Once," He said slowly. "Éponine came to my elephant late because-" His voice trailed off, and he slumped in defeated realization. "She's not gonna come today, **_Monsieur_**. You should probably go do whatever you rich people do."

He climbed out of his elephant and jumped down to the ground. "Let's go, fella's!" He yelled, forcing a cheery tone, and Marius ducked and dodged as a small swarm of children appeared from inside the elephant and scrambled over him. He followed and caught Gavroche's blond curls bouncing away at the head of the herd.

Marius sighed, making his way to the cafe. Maybe his friends had seen Éponine. He doubted it, but it never hurt to hope.


	10. To catch a Thief

**Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since updating! I figured I'd give you guys a little bonus chapter since it's been so long, so I'm posting chapters 10 and 11 for you tonight. :)**

 **Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Éponine trailed after the gang, moving as quickly as her back would allow. Her father glared and threatened, but she couldn't have moved any faster even if the Inspector himself was on her heels. Ok, maybe that wasn't entirely true. If Javert really was chasing her, Éponine would be able to run even if she was dying.

They reached their destination, and Éponine sat down on the curb, grateful for the reprieve. Even if she did have to spend that time on lookout with Montparnasse, it was still worth it.

"Éponine!" Her father barked, and Éponine groaned, pulling herself up off the curb.

"Yes?" She sighed.

"Don't use that tone with me, girl." He snapped. "You'll be doing the raid today."

"What?" Éponine stared at him, trying to tell if he was drunk or not. "But, Papa."

"No buts. You'll be doing the raid, and for your sake, there better not be any mistakes."

Éponine cringed, climbing over the gate with difficulty. She managed to land softly on the other side, and crept towards the house. Sneaking around behind the house, she crept in the back door leading to the kitchens. Pots and pans hung from walls, and Éponine made note to stay away from anything that could make noise.

She stalked carefully around the house, knowing that this was probably a way of her father getting back at her for the other night. She made her way cautiously through the rooms, searching and finding nothing much of value, until. She stepped through into some sort of sitting room and spied two silver candlesticks sitting on the table.

As she crept towards the table, she thought she heard a creaking from upstairs. But that was impossible. Her father and the gang never robbed a house where someone was still inside. But they weren't the ones robbing the house, she was. It struck Éponine again that this was a set up. Her father meant for her to fail.

She grabbed the candlesticks, making to stuff them in her shawl, when a voice behind her made her jump nearly a foot. "So, my wallet wasn't good enough for you? You decided to come and steal from my house instead?" Not _him_! Anyone but him!

Éponine turned to see Enjolras standing in the doorway, so much more imposing framed by the darkness. He glared at her, his voice and eyes cold and merciless. He raised his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he saw the candlesticks in her hand. Éponine quickly put them down on the table and backed away as he stormed closer, raising his hand. For a moment, Éponine thought he might hit her, but he reached behind her and moved the candlesticks back to their original position. "My father gave me those," he said fondly, seeming to be speaking to himself. "Told me they used to belong to a Bishop, but he gave them away..."

Éponine wasn't sure how to respond, but he continued speaking. "You were lucky last time. But not tonight." Éponine realized the meaning of his words, and instinctively moved closer to him, her face twisting slightly in pain.

"No, **_Monsieur_** , please!" She begged. "You don't know what they would do to me." She started to move closer, but he stepped back, his face remaining blank.

His eyes hardened. "Then you should have thought about that before you decided to break into my house."

Éponine dropped her gaze to the ground, her voice dropping slightly as well. "I did not know this was your house, **_Monsieur_**. I wouldn't have come."

"That only makes it worse!" He burst out. "If not my house, then some other innocent's house." He moved over to a window, looking out into the street. "Every day the police come by my house on their. They should be here in a few minutes." He seemed to be speaking to himself, but Éponine still paled at his words.

"What did you mean, the other day?" He kept his back to her, but addressed her over his shoulder. "When I told you that there were other ways to make money, and you said 'not for you'?"

Éponine gave a derisive laugh, her voice mocking and bitter despite the gravity of the situation. "What, you mean the factories?" She gave another bitter laugh. "The Docks?" He stiffened, and she smirked. "I have done both, **_Monsieur_** , neither worth much."

He turned to her, his eyes softening only slightly. "The Docks?" He repeated, staring at her with an incomprehensible expression on his face. "Why would you choose to go there?"

Éponine's face hardened. "I had no choice, **_Monsieur_**."

"Everyone has a choice." His tone was disbelieving. "Even you."

She shook her head. "Not me."

Now he was angry. "You chose to steal. You chose to sneak in here. You chose to try and steal from me _again_ , even though I had done you no wrong." Every word was like a blow.

"I did not choose!" She burst out hotly. "I chose none of this! I had no choice! It's either steal or suffer, for me, **_Monsieur_**. I have no choice."

Enjolras stared at her, caught off guard. He turned back to the window, trying to make sense of everything, and already doubting whether calling the police was a good idea. Steal or suffer? Is that really what it came to? He cringed at the casual way she had mentioned The Docks, as though it were an everyday occurrence. It struck him that it very well could be.

"Everyone has a choice," he whispered, more to convince himself than her.

"Well, maybe you're talking to the wrong people."

He turned to see her looking through his work; his books and notes from school and the revolution. "Here, watcha do with all these books?" She forced a casual tone. She picked one up, and held it almost reverently. "I coulda been a student too. Don't judge a girl on how she looks. I know a lot of things, I do!"

He came over and took the book gently from her hands, placing it back on the shelf. "The things you know, you wouldn't find in books like these."

She dropped her gaze, peeking shyly up at him. "I like the way you talk, **_Monsieur_** ".

He stopped and blinked several times; taken aback, and she smiled, then frowned at the faint sound of marching. She moved past him to the window and watched as the police came closer. "There go the police," she said, preparing herself to be led away in chains.

Enjolras looked over at the candlesticks and sighed. "Yes, there they go," he said, looking over her shoulder at the uniformed men who marched past the house. She turned, surprised, and frightened. If he wasn't going to call the police, what was he going to do?

"Go home," he sighed, defeated.

"What?" she whispered, looking up at him sharply.

"Go home," he repeated, his face once more returning to an expressionless slab of marble. Éponine slowly made her way to the door, watching him closely to see if it was a trick. But just like before, he was letting her go. She opened her mouth to say something, thought better of it, and without a second look, she ran.


	11. Revolution

**Here's chapter 11 as promised! A bit more Eponine and Enjolras interaction here, as well as appearances by the rest of Les Amis. :)**

 **Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Éponine was in no hurry to go home, but she knew she would have to face her father eventually. She tried stealing a few purses, but her conversation with Enjolras was still weighing heavily on her mind, and she wasn't able to. She shuddered at the thought that she might have to go to The Docks to get the money required, and after wandering in circles for a few hours, finally made her way back home. Each step closer to the Inn caused brought a sick feeling of fear inside her, but she opened the door anyway and slipped inside.

Immediately, her father pounced on her, pressing her up against the wall and leering down at her. "You better have got something good from that house, comin' home so late." Éponine didn't trust her voice, and shook her head, whimpering as her father's fist slammed her to the ground. His boots came next, heavy, pounding into her mercilessly. She heard the "zzzzooop" sound of her father's belt being drawn, and instinctively raised her arms, trying to protect her head as he brought it down again and again.

The belt struck her arms, biting them like a snake and leaving bright red welts all along her arms. Finally, he stopped, but pain still throbbed through her body. She could hear him talking to the gang, but couldn't quite make out any words. She could hear Montparnasse whining, along with her father ordering and threatening. A name leaped out at her suddenly. _"Claqesous"._

 _No! No! No!_ She wished she could scream, but she could barely move. She felt him coming nearer, and when he reached down and grabbed her, she squirmed, trying desperately to free herself.

He laughed, dragging her across the room.

Up the stairs.

Into the bedroom.

He threw her down onto the bed, and Éponine scrambled away, crying in fear. But he was bigger than her, and so much stronger. And he was not anything like Montparnasse.

Éponine screamed as the pain crashed over her, and when he had finally gone, she lay on her stomach, sobbing and gasping into the blanket. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she flinched at the hand on her shoulder. It was Montparnasse, she knew without looking, and Éponine groaned, not even bothering to roll over and face him.

"Go away, 'Parnasse. You're drunk."

"I'm always drunk," he chuckled darkly. "And I'm not going anywhere. I paid for the night."

Éponine wished she had been taken by the police. Anything was better than this. She didn't move from the bed for a day, and when she finally did get up, the pain was so great she nearly collapsed again.

Slowly, she made her way out of the Inn and down the street. Limping slightly, she snuck in and out of alleys, grabbing at purses that drifted by. She could still hear Enjolras' disapproval, but she wasn't going to go through that again. Steal or suffer.

She thought about going to see Gavroche, but decided she couldn't let him see her like this, it would only worry him. Just then, she spotted Marius through the crowd. She moved as quickly as she was able, and was by his side in a few moments. "Hello, **_Monsieur_** ," she said, smiling despite her pain.

"Éponine! There you are! Gavroche and I were worrying about you." His brown eyes were filled with concern.

"Gavroche?" Éponine looked up at him, curiously. "You ran into Gavroche?"

"More like he ran into me. He was upset that you didn't show up the other day." Éponine frowned, lowering her head briefly. Poor Gavroche. She had promised she'd be there. She'd have to bring him something later to make up for it. She trailed along behind Marius, sticking to him like a shadow. They entered the cafe, and Éponine stopped, quickly slipping into a corner. She scanned the cafe anxiously.

Grantaire was lounging in a chair, a mug in his hand, laughing loudly. Joly sat at the other end of the table, scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment, stopping every now and then to push his glasses back up on his nose and glare disapprovingly at Grantaire. Marius had joined Combeferre and Courfeyrac at a table, and they were discussing something seemingly very important. They leaned close across the table and cast quick glances around the room. And yet, no sign of that red vest.

"Hiding from someone?" A voice beside her made her jump. Turning, she saw Feuilly leaning against the wall, a small fan in his hands. He turned it over and started folding it, pulling it apart carefully.

Éponine smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I am. Enjolras," she added, at Feuilly's curious look.

He laughed, handing her the finished fan. "Good luck with that."

He strode across the floor to join the others. After a few more scans, Éponine spotted Enjolras coming out of a back room, his arms full of rolls of paper and books. He dropped them onto a table and began organizing them, unrolling a piece of paper, glancing over it, and tossing it away.

Finally he gathered the group together and began speaking. Éponine, who had been making discreetly for the door, stopped at the sound of his voice. Slowly she turned and slipped back into her corner, once more caught up by the flow of his words. She listened closely, trying to catch what he was saying and not just how he was saying it. Words like _Freedom_ and _Equality_ stuck out most of all.

Éponine smirked, shaking her head slightly. He had good ideas, and his motives were honorable, but he was going about it all wrong. If he thought he was going to amass an army out of poor, starving, and abused people, he had a lot coming to him. No one was going to stand up and fight. Not like this.

The group dispersed, moving off into their own private circles to discuss what they had just heard. Éponine, forgetting for a moment her fear, slid soundlessly up beside Enjolras. "It's never going to work, you know," she said, placing her hands on the table and leaning forward. He looked up at her, startled, then his face once more hardened.

"And why do you think that, **_Mademoiselle_**?" he used the term to mock her, she knew. She was no Mademoiselle.

"I don't think, I know. I have lived on these streets my whole life. I know its people, and they all know me. You won't get anywhere without them, and they won't go with you."

He sighed, frustrated. "And why not?"

Éponine gave a short, incredulous laugh. "Why not? Because you're you, and they are them. Here you are, some rich bourgeois boy playing soldier, talking about equality; and there they are, starving, dying, begging for a chance at life, and you don't give them the time of day. Look down, Monsieur. Look down and see the beggars at your feet. Look down. Look down upon your fellow man".

He stared at her in shock, and Éponine, realizing that once more she had spoken out of place, lowered her gaze to the floor. She stammered out an apology, turning quickly to go, but Enjolras grabbed her wrist, stopping her exit, and sending a barb of pain shooting up her arm. She gasped, trying to pull away and only making the pain worse. She raised her eyes to Enjolras', but he was no longer looking at her. Following his gaze, she saw that he was looking at her arm. Her sleeve had slid up, revealing the tell-tale marks of her father's belt.

His eyes flashed briefly with anger, and Éponine once more tried to free herself. His grip tightened, and when she gave a small cry, instantly let her go. He raised his eyes to stare at her.

"Who did that to you?" His voice was just above a whisper, hoarse with barely controlled rage.

Éponine couldn't tell if he was angry with her or not, but she shrugged off his question, moving just out of his reach.

"It is nothing, **_Monsieur_** ," she said, turning quickly to make her escape, but his next words stopped her cold.

"Steal or suffer." His head was bowed and his voice soft, as though just coming to a conclusion.

Éponine turned to face him, paling slightly. "What?"

He raised his head, a pained smile flickering across his face. "Your own words, **_Mademoiselle_**. 'Steal or suffer'." He glanced back down at her arms, then back up at her. "I take it you suffered."

She stepped back away from him, her eyes becoming cut off, her face expressionless. Her voice was cold, but trembled slightly. "It is none of your concern, **_Monsieur_**. You deal with your revolution; I know my way around." And with that, she turned and fled from the cafe.


	12. Revelation

**Well, it's been a while hasn't it? But long overdue for an update so, here it is! Another short chapter, so I'll be posting chapter 13 later tonight to make up for it.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **\- Raven**

* * *

Enjolras couldn't figure that girl out. He ignited passion in the hearts of his listeners, stirring up the revolution in their hearts with every breath, and yet in a few sentences, this **_oursin_** (urchin), this **_cabot_** _(cur)_ , **_déchet_** _(wretch),_ this _girl!_ had cut him down. Who was she, anyway? Who was she to speak to him like that? No one, not even Grantaire had ever spoken to him in such a way. Despite his fury, Enjolras couldn't help but feel...something. Pity, perhaps?

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. The people weren't going to follow after them so easily. But how to get them on their side? The girl's words still rang in his ears, " _Look down, Monsieur. Look down upon your fellow man_." He still didn't know her name.

"Marius," he called. The boy in question jogged over to Enjolras, a book tucked beneath his arm.

"Yes?" He looked lost amidst the rowdy group, but Enjolras could sense something hidden inside. With a little encouragement, Marius would become a valuable member in the revolution.

"Marius, who's that girl who's always shadowing you?"

"Éponine?" Marius' face scrunched up in confusion. "Why? Is she alright?" He added quickly, his eyes widening in panic.

"Yes, I see her every now and then, and it occurred to me that I didn't know her name. Why wouldn't she be alright?"

"N-no, it's nothing," Marius said quickly. "None of my business, really." He left before Enjolras could say anything else.

Éponine. Something wasn't right. He had glimpsed it when he had caught her in his house, and again just now. The way she was constantly ducking her head, like a servant expecting a blow. _Steal or suffer_. Her words kept coming back to haunt him. Again and again they echoed in his head, driving him mad.

He gathered up the rest of his things, cramming them into his bag. He scanned the cafe, and groaned to see that there was no one else left except Grantaire. Enjolras considered leaving him there, but he knew better, so he reluctantly drag/carried Grantaire to his home, before making his way to his own house.

As he passed through the streets, he found himself looking down. He saw the dirty faces, pale streaks on their cheeks betraying their misery. Hands reached up to him, begging, pleading. As he walked on, he nearly tripped on a crumpled form. Its clothes were torn, exposing bare, bruised skin. Enjolras turned slightly towards it, and the figure whimpered, looking up at him with fearful eyes as it scrambled backwards.

"I'm sorry, **_Monsieur_** ," the figure whispered, dark eyes flickering out of a pale, gaunt face.

Enjolras stared, leaning closer. "Éponine?" he said, his voice soft in disbelief.

Éponine, for it was she, gasped, and scrambled even further away. Enjolras followed, and when she realized she couldn't escape him, she slumped against the wall in defeat.

"What do you want with me, **_Monsieur_** Enjolras?"

Her face was hidden in her arms, and her voice was hoarse with pain. Enjolras crouched down beside her, reaching out a hand. She flinched, pulling away from him. Enjolras hesitated, unsure of what to do. He felt a twisted, sick feeling in his stomach, half of him wondering who had done this to her, and half of him wondering why he cared.

"I was looking down," he said, self-consciously. She gave a small smile, which Enjolras took for a grimace. "You were right, and I did see."

"But you didn't see me," she said, smiling sadly. She shifted, letting out a small gasp of pain. Enjolras instinctively reached for her, but Éponine refused to let him near her. Enjolras raised his hands in a gesture of supplication.

"It's alright, Éponine. I'm not trying to hurt you."

But she stayed pressed against the wall, her eyes widening in fear as she looked at something over his shoulder.

"Enjolras," she hissed, and he realized that this was the first time she had said his name without adding 'Monsieur' in front of it.

"Get out of here. Now!" she added, when he didn't move. Enjolras got up and moved further into the shadows of the alley, hiding himself from view.

A door he hadn't noticed before burst open next to Éponine, and two men tumbled out into the alley. "There you are, 'Ponine," the taller of the two drawled. "Sulking in the alley are you?" Éponine said something that darkened the man's face, and he kicked her hard, causing her to cry out.

He reached down and jerked her roughly to her feet, raising his hand as though to strike her. Instead, he stroked her cheek, whispering something in her ear. She pulled away, spitting at him, and this time he did strike her, slamming her back into the wall. He made to hit her again, but the second man, shorter, and with more muscle, stopped him.

"You heard the boss," he said. "He wants her in one piece." The first man sneered, then grabbed Éponine again, dragging and shoving her through the door. The second man glanced around the alley before disappearing after them, slamming the door shut.


	13. Look Down

**Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update as promised. Had some family stuff come up that needed to be taken care of. But here's the next chapter for you. It's super short, sorry, so 14 won't be far behind.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Raven**

* * *

Enjolras crouched in the alley, processing what he had just seen. He was beginning to understand what Éponine meant. Steal or suffer. He shuddered. Her dress had been torn, and he could see plainly the welts and bruises that littered her body. Slowly, he got up and headed out the other side of the alley. He wondered if Pontmercy had known about this.

He tossed his things down on the floor next to the sofa when he entered his house. He made his way into the kitchen, grabbing something to eat without really processing what he was eating. He started to open his books, preparing to study for tests he had the next day, but he couldn't focus on anything.

He was going about things all wrong. He was talking to all the wrong people. Éponine was right, in more than one way. His revolution was targeting the rich, trying to bring down the oppressive government, the government that ignored the cries of its people, and here he was doing the same thing! The very things he was against, he was committing those same 'crimes' almost daily. It was only when he looked down that he realized what it was he should be fighting for.

It was people like Éponine, who had to resort to desperate measures to survive. He grabbed his bag and pulled out the plans and notes that he had so painstakingly written. Staring at them for a moment, he made up his mind and tossed them all into the fire. Pulling out fresh rolls of parchment, he began writing furiously, Éponine's words ringing in his mind.

 _"Here you are, some rich bourgeois boy playing soldier, and there they are,_ _starving, dying, begging for a chance at life._

 _Look down, Monsieur. Look down and see the beggars at your feet. Look down, look down upon your fellow man. Look down, and show some mercy, if you can."_

Yes, he would show them. He would show them the truth. He would show them themselves. Looking down, and looking ahead, he would bring a new future.


	14. Stronger

**And here's 14 for you too! Hope you guys enjoy and I look forward to hearing what you think.**

 **-Raven**

* * *

Gavroche sprinted down the streets, followed closely by two soaking wet and furious police officers. How was he to know that police didn't have a sense of humor? He ducked under a cart, turning down an alley. The officers stayed right behind him, and it seemed as though it was a dead end, but Gavroche scrambled on top of the boxes piled up, and scaled the wall, landing softly on the other side. He laughed as the officers cursed, and strolled casually down the new street, whistling cheekily.

Suddenly Gavroche stopped, realizing what street he was on. He pressed himself close to the wall, slinking forward carefully as the Inn loomed into view. The place seemed empty, but peeking into the side window, Gavroche could see the entire gang assembled in the main room. He ducked quickly out of sight, and crept around the house.

Climbing the pipe, he poked his head up and looked through Éponine's window into her room. It was empty. The bed was pressed up against the wall furthest from the door, the room just an empty shell. Sliding back down the pipe, Gavroche scampered back to his elephant, but Éponine wasn't there either.

Gavroche slumped to the ground by a wall, tucking his knees up to his chest. He buried his face in his arms, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"What'sa matter, 'Vroche?" A hoarse voice asked him. Raising his head and turning to the sound of the voice, he saw a beggar curled up in the corner. Quickly, he wiped his face, adopting a mask that would have rivaled Éponine's, but it quickly disappeared.

"I can't find 'Ponine," he sniffed.

The beggar straightened. "I saw her. With _them_. They tossed her out, she's just down there." He pointed with his staff down the alley Gavroche had just come. Thanking the man, Gavroche jumped up and sprinted down the alley, slowing to a walk as he turned down the alley the beggar showed him.

"'Ponine?" He whispered, searching through the shadows. A low moan met his words, and Gavroche turned to see a beaten form blending in with the trash and filth of the street. "'Ponine!" Gavroche moved closer and paled, drawing in his breath sharply. He knelt down next do the bloody form of his sister, shaking her shoulder gently. She whimpered, but didn't open her eyes.

Gavroche jumped up and ran, tears clouding his vision, but his feet knew where to go. He reached the house and banged on the door, shouting Marius' name. When no answer came, Gavroche ran through a few more alleys and side streets, arriving at the cafe in record time.

Bolting inside, Gavroche was devastated to find it deserted. Not even Grantaire sprawled in his usual drunken spot. Gavroche gave a yell of anger and fear, turning around in a circle, trying to catch something he might have missed. A red jacket lay hung over a chair, the table it sat at cluttered with books.

"Enjolras!" Gavroche shouted, and the man himself appeared from the back.

"Gavroche, what is it?" he asked, as the boy stumbled into him and began dragging him toward the door.

"It's Éponine," Gavroche gasped between choked sobs. "I found her...in an alley. I think...She's..." but his words were cut off as he began to cry again. Enjolras grabbed his jacket and pulled it on, crouching down in front of Gavroche.

"Gavroche, try and calm down," Enjolras said, trying to keep his own voice calm for the child's sake. "Where is she? Show me."

Together they ran through the streets, and Gavroche turned down a hidden alley so fast that Enjolras almost lost him. Following Gavroche, he saw the child kneel down beside what looked at first to be a pile of rags. Then Enjolras looked closer and Éponine took shape inside the rags. Enjolras nearly cursed, but stopped himself because of Gavroche.

"Gavroche, listen to me. Do you know where **_Monsieur_** Joly lives?" The child nodded. "Good. Go and get him, bring him to the cafe." Gavroche nodded again, and within a moment, was gone.

Enjolras took Gavroche's place beside Éponine, gently brushing her hair from her face. She was paler than usual, and Enjolras could smell the blood. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, scooping her up deftly into his arms. She barely weighed anything.

Enjolras moved quickly, but carefully, cradling her like a baby. Halfway to the cafe she stirred, then suddenly jolted awake, a cry escaping her lips. "Éponine, it's alright," Enjolras reassured her when she started struggling against him. Hearing his voice, Éponine froze, looking up at him with wide eyes.

" ** _Monsieur_** Enjolras?" She said, her voice raw and sore. Enjolras kicked open the cafe door with his foot, striding across to the small sofa and gently laying her down on it. Éponine, however, was struggling to get to her feet, and whimpering as she did so. "I can't...I can't stay," she gasped, finally making it to her feet, swaying slightly.

"Yes, you can," Enjolras said firmly. "You're hurt, I'm not just going to let you run out in the streets."

"No, Enjolras, you don't understand," she gasped, her eyes wide with fear and pain. She took a shaking step forward and nearly collapsed. "I need to go. I have to..."

"You need to lie down," Enjolras said. "Now," he added, when she started to protest. She sank back down onto the sofa, eyeing him warily. Just then Gavroche burst through the door with Joly in tow. Joly shooed Enjolras and Gavroche to the back room, where Gavroche bounced on the balls of his toes, and Enjolras paced, muttering furiously under his breath.

After about 30 minutes, Joly poked his head into the room. "Enjolras, can you come here for a minute?" Gavroche groaned and Enjolras went into the other room with Joly.

"What's wrong, Joly?" Enjolras stood beside the sofa where Éponine was sleeping, her torso wrapped tightly in white bandages. Joly shifted uncomfortably, trying to find the right words without sounding crude.

"She's been beaten badly. Someone," he shook his head. "I don't know, Enjolras, but someone has beaten her within an inch of her life."

Enjolras paled, sick at the thought of someone doing this intentionally, and his fists and jaw clenched, his eyes flashing in anger. "There's more, Enjolras," Joly said hesitatingly. Enjolras looked up at Joly, then back down at Éponine, wondering what could possibly be 'more'. Their conversation from a week ago (5days to be exact) came back to him.

 _"Steal or suffer. I have no choice."_

 _"There are better ways to make money."_

 _She had snorted. "What? The Docks?"_

Enjolras stared down at Éponine, anticipating what Joly was going to say, and answered him before he said it. "The Docks," he said softly.

Joly looked up at Enjolras, surprised. "What?"

"She told me once that stealing was the only way she could make money. Unless she went to the factories, or The Docks." He looked up at Joly. "That's what you were going to say, wasn't it? That she had been used in that way."

Joly nodded mutely, staring back down at Éponine, who was starting to stir. "She'll need a place to stay until she recovers."

Enjolras nodded, thinking of who could keep Éponine. "Perhaps Pontmercy would be willing."

Éponine opened her eyes and looked around, then yawned, struggling to sit up. She gasped in pain and sank back onto the sofa with a groan.

"Don't try to move, Éponine," Joly cautioned. "You'll only hurt yourself worse."

Just then, Marius burst into the cafe, looking flustered. He spotted Éponine and smiled, oblivious to the bandages wrapped around her body. "'Ponine, there you are! Could you, I mean, I need you to do something for me."

Éponine nodded eagerly, and pushed up against the sofa, struggling to get to her feet, and wincing in pain. It was too much. Enjolras exploded.

"Marius, are you blind?!" He shouted, whirling furiously on the boy. "Can't you see that she's hurt?!"

Joly was staring at Enjolras as though he had just announced he had a rare disease with no cure.

Marius gaped, open-mouthed at Enjolras, before turning to look at Éponine. He only just seemed to notice the bandages wrapped around her body and the marks on her face.

"Oh, ah...alright. I'll just...ah...see you, 'Ponine." And with that he turned on his heel and practically fled from the cafe.

Éponine had managed to get to her feet, and now looked after Marius with a longing expression on her face.

Joly spoke up from behind them. "So, I guess Marius is out of the question, then?" It was more statement than question, and Enjolras gave him a pointed, "You think?" look.

Enjolras sighed, turning to Éponine. "Éponine," he began, but she turned on him furiously.

"Why did you do that, **_Monsieur_**?" Her voice was angry, but her eyes were full of pain.

He blinked, taken aback. "You're hurt, I wasn't about to let you go running out in the streets."

Éponine's eyes flashed. " _Let_ me? I can take care of myself, **_Monsieur_**. I have been my whole life. You had no right to do that."

Enjolras hid his surprise, instead focusing on his anger. His anger at whoever had done this to Éponine, and anger at Marius and his blindness. His face became a scowl, and Éponine froze.

"Sit," he commanded, as though speaking to a dog.

She sat.

"I might not have had a right, but I did, and if you would listen long enough you might understand why. You. Are. Hurt." he enunciated each word through gritted teeth. "And whether or not you can take care of yourself is not the issue. You can not take care of yourself like this, especially not wandering the streets alone, and I can _not_ , in good conscience, allow you to do so."

Éponine stared at Enjolras in a mix of fear and awe. She dropped her gaze to the floor and stared at it, as though afraid it would suddenly jump up and attack her. Finally, she whispered, "Thank you. No one has ever done something like that for me before." She lifted her eyes to his for a moment, before flickering back to the floor.

"You're welcome," Enjolras said sincerely. He and Joly left her to rest while they talked in the other room. Gavroche was still waiting, and nearly ran over them both in his impatience to see Éponine.

"She can stay with me," Enjolras said, almost as surprised as the look on Joly's face to hear the words coming out of his mouth. "I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

Joly nodded slowly, rubbing his chin as he thought. "If anything happens you'll be sure to call me?"

"Of course. You're the first one I'd go to." Joly nodded more enthusiastically this time and gave his Ok. They went back into the main room to find Éponine sitting up, her legs tuck close to her body to make room for Gavroche, who was kneeling on the sofa facing her. He leaned close, his hands on her knees, the two of them whispering together frantically.

At the sight of the two men coming back, Gavroche jumped off the sofa, causing Éponine to wince. He gave her a hug and she ruffled his hair. "Thank you for taking care of Éponine for me," Gavroche said, sounding like a parent. "I'll see you tomorrow Enjolras." He dashed out the door, giving Éponine a meaningful look.

Éponine was sitting up fully, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Her eyes were once again on the floor, and her voice was just above a whisper. "Thank you for everything. Both of you," she added, looking up at Joly. "But I can't stay." She stood a little less shakily than before and made toward the door.

"Éponine, you can't go," Joly said, jumping forward to stop her. "You're still hurt. You can't just..." She gave him a look that stopped him in his tracks, and he gulped, turning helplessly to Enjolras. Enjolras moved in front of Éponine, grabbing her shoulders gently and forcing her to look up at him.

"Éponine, what is it? Why do you need to leave?" But she wasn't looking at him anymore. Her face was frozen in terror, her eyes looking past him out the door that Gavroche had left open as he ran out. Enjolras turned and looked, but he saw nothing. No one was there, just the usual bustle of crowds, beggars and pickpockets hiding in alleys. He turned back to her. "Éponine?"

His voice startled her, and she slowly focused on him again. "I need to go home," she finally said as she reached into her dress pocket. She pulled out two small purses. Despite their size they were both full to the brim with coins. "Most of the money comes through me, and if I'm not back..." she let the sentence hang, and once more looked out the door.

Enjolras turned to Joly, not sure of what to do. Joly scrunched his face up in unwilling surrender and nodded his head. "Alright," Enjolras said. "But I'm going with you. You can hardly stand as it is, let alone walk home."

Éponine jumped, and the fear in her eyes grew. "No!" She shouted, turning to him. "No, I'll be fine," she said, forcing her voice to become calm, emotionless.

Before Enjolras could protest, she shoved the purses back into her pocket and hobbled out the door. Enjolras stood stunned for a moment, then followed her. Stepping out into the street, there was no sign of her. She had disappeared, blending into the shadows.


End file.
